Continuous railway composite bridges in a seismic zone in Northern Algeria

Abstract

The design of continuous railway bridges in an active seismic zone is complex, due to rail-structure interaction criteria that require very rigid structural systems in the longitudinal direction. This generates large seismic forces at the fixed points and usually results in an uneconomical substructure design. The use of a composite deck (in order to reduce the mass), together with seismic isolation (using steel devices with elastic-plastic properties) has permitted the construction of 3 railway viaducts in Northern Algeria, adapting them to the requirements imposed by the Algerian railway administration.